


Sugarcoat The Bitter Truth

by ballpoint



Category: Marvel 616, Young Avengers
Genre: Gen, General
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-23
Updated: 2010-12-23
Packaged: 2017-10-15 00:14:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/155052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ballpoint/pseuds/ballpoint
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Truth used to be on Kate Bishop's side once upon a time; and then she grew up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sugarcoat The Bitter Truth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Gehayi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gehayi/gifts).



> Characters and their trademarks thereof belong to Marvel. No profit is being made from this, it's for entertainment purposes only.

Before Kate turned fifteen, she never needed to fear the truth, because the facts were on her side.

"She's taken to the cello admirably. Such natural talent. Mrs Bishop, have you ever thought of sending Kate to Music Camp? Interlochen has such a good programme, and Kate would benefit from it immensely."

"No, I haven't. Do you think the programme would suit?"

"Kate does tick all the boxes as needed; good grades in her core subjects, and possesses such sensitivity and solid musical instincts at her age. Such potential."

"Thank you, Ms Schafer, we'll look into it."

They did, and Kate remembered the interview. Alone with her potential teachers, discussing the merits of her instrument, and finishing it off with her cello, right there. Back straight, both feet on the floor, cello between her knees. Kate's palms didn't sweat, nor was she nervous.

"Ms Bishop, in your own time."

It didn't matter if she performed for one person or a thousand, as soon as Kate pressed the bow parallel to the strings, the notes flowed, dark and sonorous, as she played a short piece from _The Sonata_ from Bach.

When finished, Kate smiled, as their faces told the story. _You are quite talented, you have a place here_.

That was truth.

Shortly after her fifteenth birthday, however, the lies began, they had to.

Kate can still mark the change, when lies became a consideration, a necessity, even.

Tuesday morning, dressed in her school uniform, thanking the maid for her omelette of egg whites and orange juice. Her sister, face scrubbed and hair up, daintily sipped at some green sludge via a pink bendy straw. At Kate's face, Susan laughed. "It's phytopower, I need to be fresh for my wedding."

"It's next year, Jeez. I don't think Kyle's going to do a runner between now and then. Besides, you'll sleeping up to then, don't you?"

"Wait until you - good morning, Dad. Dad?"

Kate launched out of her chair as quickly as her sister did, as her Dad stood at the doorway, his fingers white and clamped around the phone he was holding, his mouth drawn into a thin line.

"Dad? Oh, dad, sit down. Macy, get us some water," Susan slipped her hand around her father's shoulders, Kate held his hand and they both steered him towards a chair in the breakfast nook.

"Dad?"

"Eleanor," he rasped, covering his mouth with his hand. "Eleanor."

"Mom? What's going on? Dad? Is it about Mom?"

Kate knew the answer when her father's eyes grew glassy with tears.

"She - she's gone."

* * *

Things were a blur after that, ending with her at the graveside, her throat and eyes sore and gritted from crying so hard. Her dress and veil whipped by the wind from the overhead helicopters. "Kate," Susan pulled her into a hug, and Kate tucked her head in her sister's shoulders. _I'm okay_ , the lie slipped smoothly from her lips, and Susan believed it, as she hugged Kate once more. "We'll be okay."

 _I don't miss her_ , was another one. Kate slipped into her formal dress for a recital, and after a few moments of tugging and trying to put her hair up, like her mother used to, she gave up, and started to wear it down. "It's new, I like it this way," she told her Dad, willing him to believe it, and he did.

"It doesn't matter, I'm fine. I'm _fine_ ," Kate folded her arms across her abdomen, and stared out the window.

"Kate, it's all right to feel - angry, to feel _rage_."

"I feel nothing."

"Kate-"

And for the next forty minutes, Kate fell into stony silence, staring at the spot in the window, until she heard a sigh and, "Time's up. I'll see you next week."

"I won't," Kate shook her head, her voice brittle and chilled as ice. "I don't need you, or this."

 _Don't feel, won't feel, can't feel_ , Kate folded her arms across her stomach, the curtains drawn against the light in her room. When her thoughts got to be too much, she enrolled in as much classes as she dared. Thai kick boxing, tai chi, krav maga. She took up the bow, her hands trembling as she notched the arrow, it going far base from her target.

"Kate," and that was Susan again, face soft and glowing, glitters at her ears and neck as she prepared for a night out, her outfit out of place in the gym that Kate now made her own. "What are you up to? Trying to be some sort of hero?"

"No," Kate shook her head, the lies rolled easily from her lips now.

"Well, don't," Susan caught Kate's chin in her hands. "Because you're my bridesmaid first."

"Even though your wedding could fund -"

"Don't start," Susan kissed Kate on her nose, leaving sticky gloss behind. "You'll love my wedding, and get out of the house and meet people."

"I'm looking forward to it," Kate muttered as she rubbed at her nose. Gross.

"You're such a bad liar, darling Kate. Never change."

* * *

Kate slotted into being a hero, and for the first time since - well since her mother died, she felt content. Probably even happy, up until she first heard rumblings of the SHRA.

 _It's a stupid proposition, it will get shot down._

"The law is wrong," she argued with her dad, as they scanned the papers over breakfast.

"Only for people who have nothing to hide, Kate," her father said. With Susan now out of the house, there was no one to buffer their mutual sharp edges.

"That's a load of - that's- you don't understand, Dad. Superheroes already put their lives on the line, their families and friends too - and for you just to force them - it's wrong."

"I think Jameson might have a point."

"A pencil might have a point Dad, but it's still dumb."

"Kate. It's just superheroes. You're overreacting."

 _We'll get through it, all of us_

"I don't want to go to jail, Eli!" Cassie cried, as she shook her head. "I'm not going to jail. I _can't_ "

"You can't Register," and that was Eli, trying to hold the team together. A noble effort, but a futile one, like having a fist full of sand in your hand, it trickled away with each new jolt, each new movement, and when you finally opened your fist, there would be nothing. "It's the principle, Cass."

"I'm sorry," Cassie shook her head, her eyes brimming with tears, before she ran out of the room, leaving the rest of the YA staring at her exit for a few seconds. "I'm joining Mr Stark and going to register."

"Cass," Kate jogged after her friend. "Hey, wait up."

"Not you too," Cassie wiped her eyes. "I don't care about them hating me, just-" Cassie's breath hitched, as she dashed tears from her eyes. "Not you too."

"No," Kate whispered as she hugged Cassie. "We're best friends, Cass," she pulled back, wiping Cassie's tears from her cheeks with her thumb. "We'll always be, okay?"

"I hate this stupid, crazy war."

"It will be over soon," Kate drew Cassie to her, and kissed her cheek. The truth would never help in this case.

 _It will be over soon, and everything will be like it was_.

Fin


End file.
